Loose-leaf binder



C. E. BECK.

LOOSE LEAF BINDER. APPLICATION FILED APR. 5, I918. RENEWED N0.V.5,1919.

Patented May 25, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

C. E. BECK.

LOOSE LEAF BINDER. APPLICATION FILED APR. 5, I918. RENEWED NOV. 5, I919. 1,341,456.

M 9m 1T 5 mu an MM d 2 m w a l a r a CHARLES ERNEST BECK, 0F BALTIMQRE, MARYLAND.

LOOSELEAF BINDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 25, 1920.

A li ation filed. April 5, 1918, Serial No. 226,885. Renewed November 5, 1919. Serial No. 335,945.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GHARLns ERNns'r BECK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful 1mprovements in Loose-Leaf Binders, of which the following is a specificat on.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a loose leaf binder, of simple construction, in which leaves of various sizes may be readily inserted and effectively held by means of cords.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure l is an inner face view of a loose leaf binder embodying my invention, in one form;

Fig. 9. is a top plan v1ew of the same;

Fig. 3 is a perspective vlew of the binder stripshown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4L is a modified form of b1nder strip,

Fig. 5 is a perspective vlew of a loose leat binder showing a modified arrangement of the binder strip;

Fig. 6 is an inner face view of a part of the binder shown in Fig. 5; and,

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the binder shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawing, 1 and 2 indicate the covers of the binder, which may be made of stifi paperboard or any of the materials usually employed for such articles, and 3 indicates a flexible back piece connecting the cover pieces. Attached to the cover piece 1 and extending along its inner rear edge, adjacent the back piece, is a binding strip 4., which may be of wood, or other material, of a rigid nature. As shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 8, this strip is made of wood and rigidly connected to the cover 1 by metal strips 5. lhe binding strip projects at right angles to the cover 1, and on the back of the strip are arranged, preferably near each end, one or more buttons or clips 6, serving as a securing means for the ends of a cord, or cords,'7.

The operation of securing the leaves of paper to the binding strip will be evident from an inspection of Figs. 1 and 2. Leaves 8, Fig. 2, if not already folded as in pamphlet form, may be folded, and the cord 7, previously wound around one of attaching buttons or clips 6, is brought around one end of the binding strip, thence through the fold in the paper, and is carried over the opposite end of the binding strip and fastened to the clip 6, near said latter end, thus securing the leaf or leaves against the front a of the strip. The ends of the binding strip are suitably grooved, as shown at 48, to hold the cord or cords in position upon the ends of the strip. There may be one groove for several cords, or separate grooves for the separate cords, as shown in Fig. 3, and for convenience in removing the leaves where there are several cords and sets of leaves, the cords may be differently colored so as to distinguish one from the other. cover 2 is closed upon the cover 1, it will be evident that the fastening devices on the backs of the binding strips will be covered and inclosed by the flexible back piece 3.

Instead of employing buttons on the binding strip, as shown in Fig. 3, the binding strip may be made of one piece, as shown in Fig. 4;, with tongues 6 struck up out of the metal as a securing means for the ends of the cords. Also, the part 5 for attaching the strip to the cover may be integral with the binding strip at", as illustrated in Fig. l.

Fig. 5 shows the invention in a very simple and inexpensive form. In this view, the cover pieces 1 and 2 are connected by a flexible back piece 3, as in the previously described figures, but instead of making the binding strip separately and attaching it to one of the covers, the binding strip 4?, in this form, consists of an extension of the cover 1 beyond the line 3, where said cover is attached to the flexible back piece. The ends of the binding strip 4: are grooved, as shown at a", in order to hold the cord 7 in place on the ends of the strip. The paper leaves 8 are secured in position by the cord, the ends of which are wound around suitable clips 6", which, in this instance, are shown as washers connected by central eyelets to the binding strip. These washers or clips are on the back of the binding strip and will be inclosed and covered by the flexible back piece when the covers are closed. In Fig. 5 of the drawing, the covers are folded backward to expose the back of the binding strip so that the cord or cords may be loosened or fastened; but when the leaves are in position and the cords have been secured, the binding strip is held with its rear side against the back piece by means of tapes 10, which are secured to the cover 1 and provided with eyelets 10 adapted to engage buttons or fastening devices ll, arranged on the inner face When the of the cover 2. Such tapes or connecting devices may also obviously be applied to the form of invention illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

The rigid connection between the binding strip and one of the cover pieces facilitates the handling of the binder while the cords are being attached or detached, as the binder strip may be held steady by simply grasping the cover to which it is attached.

It will be evident, also, that instead of providing separate cord fastening devices near the ends of the binding strip, a single fastening means would answer for both ends of the cord, in which case the fastener would preferably be located centrally of the strip.

WVhat I claim is:

1. A loose leaf binder comprising a pair of covers connected by a flexible back piece, and a binding strip extending along the inner rear edge of one of said covers and rigidly connected therewith, said strip having cord attaching means on one side adapted to be covered by the back piece when the covers are closed.

2. A loose-leaf binder comprising a pair of covers connected by a flexible back piece, one of said covers having a rigid extension beyond its point of connection with the back piece, said extension forming a binding strip and having cord-attaching means thereon.

3. A loose leaf binder comprising a pair of covers connected byla flexible back piece, a rigid binding strip extending along the inner rear edge of one of said covers and attached thereto, said strip having cord-attaching means thereon, and flexible connecting devices secured tothe inner side of one cover adjacent'the back piece and detachably connected to the inner side of the other cover adjacent the back piece.

In testimony whereofI afiix my signature.

CHARLES ERNEST BECK. 

